Explorer	Country Exploring For	Years of Exploration(s)	Areas/Findings (Historical Significance)
B. Dias	Portugal	1487-1488	- Found his way around the Cape of Good Hope, connecting the Atlantic & Indian Oceans and opening maritime trade between Europe and Asia - Reduced the use of the Silk Road - Expanded Portuguese influence and wealth - Fueled the urge for other European nations to explore
V. Da Gama	Portugese	(1497-1499), (1502-1503), (1524)	First to sail directly from Europe to India by rounding Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. His route established a significant trade link between Europe and Asia. (Establish trade with India)
A d’Alboquerque	Portugal	1503-1504 1506-1509	-Served as the viceroy of Portuguese owned India from 1509 to 1515, which he had sailed to on his two trips. -He got stuck there, and got assistance, with the King of Portugal sending a 15 large fleet and 3000 men to liberate him. -Expanded influence of the Portuguese -He himself was a military commander, who oversaw naval fleets. -Combatted Islam and spread Christianity
J. Hawkins	England	1562-1563 1566-1567 1567-1569	-Was an English naval commander and the first English slave trader. -Angered Spain by trading with their colonies such as Guinea. -He was the catalyst for a war between England and Spain that started in 1585 from stopping out of necessity at a San Juan years prior.
A. Vespucci	Spain and Portugal	1499-1504	- He explored much of the eastern coast of South America (modern day Brazil). - Was able to recognize that his findings were not part of Asia but a separate continent - The continent of America was named after Vespucci using his Latinized name “Americus”
V. de Balboa	Spain	1500 1509 1510 1513	- Joined Rodrigo de Bastidas on an early expedition along the coast of present-day Colombia and Panama - Established the first stable European settlement in South America, Santa María la Antigua del Darién, in present-day Panama -Conducted his most famous expedition, crossing the Isthmus of Panama and discovering the Pacific Ocean on September 25, 1513
H. Cortes	Spain	(1524–1526)	- Established the first Spanish settlement in Mexico at Villa Rica de la Veracruz, marking the start of Spanish colonization in mainland America. - The fall of the Aztecs by Cortes lead to the influence of Spain to take over Mexico (1521) - ⬆Spain economy
F. Magellan	Portugal	1519-1521	- wanted to find a westward route to asia from spain to access spice islands - took five ships across the Atlantic and Magellan Strait (1519) - First europeans to cross the Pacific - killed in the philippines in 1521 and was replaced by Juan Sebastián Elcano - fleet eventually returned to portugal in 1522 and was the first known complete circumnavigation of the earth
F. Pizzaro	Spain	1509 1513 1524–1526 1532-1533 1535 1537–1541	-sailed to the New World as part of an expedition to the Caribbean -one of the first Europeans to see the Pacific Ocean from the Americas, helped Spain claim Pacific coast -expedition along the South American coast, encountered the Incas -captured the Inca emperor Atahualpa at the Battle of Cajamarca, took Inca capital of Cusco in 1533 -founded the city of Lima on January 18, 1535 -worked to solidify Spanish rule in the Andean region
C. Columbus	Spain	(1492-1493) (1493-1496) (1498-1500) (1502-1504)	Discovered the Americas for Europe. Was looking for a new route to India, China, and Japan Instead found the Americas and marked the beginning of exploration of the Americas Explored the Caribbean islands and South and Central America as well.
G. da Verazzano	France	1524-1528	-Was Italian but explored for France -travelled the eastern coast of the new world to find trade routes -traveled to New york harbor, and Narragansett Bay -first to name discoveries after people from the old world -he claimed Newfoundland for the king of France -he later explored brazil and the Bahmas
H. Hudson	England Dutch Republic England	1607 & 1608 1609 1610-1611	- Searched for a northeast passage to Asia and was unsuccessful to due icy Arctic conditions - Explored parts of the North American coast (Hudson River), including modern-day New York - Led to the establishment of the colony New Netherland - Searched for a northwest passage to Asia, instead finding the modern-day Hudson Bay in Canada - The third voyage led to mutiny and his crew set him adrift, leading to his presumed death
C. Newport	England	1607-1612	Led the first English settlers to Jamestown, Virginia. Played a key role in establishing the first permanent English colony in America.
J. Cartier	France	1534-1542	- Discovered and mapped the St. Lawrence river (border of NY and Canada) - Claimed much land for the French in North America
V. Bering	Russia	1725-1730 1733-1743	- Led the First Kamchatka Expedition (see if Asia and North America were connected), under orders from Tsar Peter the Great (they were not) - Great Northern Expedition sailed from Kamchatka to Alaska, reaching the southwestern coast of Alaska, which established Russia's claim on Alaska and opened the way for Russian fur trade in the region
P.M. de Aviles	Spain	(1540-1550) (1565-1566) (1566-1574)	- Early naval career, including voyages to the Caribbean and battles against French and English pirates - Led the expedition to Florida, founding St. Augustine on September 8, 1565, and capturing Fort Caroline from the French shortly after - Governed Spanish Florida, conducted further explorations along the southeastern coast, and attempted to establish settlements and secure Spanish claims
J. Ponce de Leon	Spain	1493 1508–1512 1513 1521	-arrived in the New World with Columbus's second voyage -appointed the first governor of Puerto Rico, helped establish the first permanent Spanish colony there -sailed from Puerto Rico to east coast of what is now the United States, which he named Florida -claimed the land for Spain -looked for fountain of youth -returned to Florida to establish a permanent colony, but got attacked by the local indigenous people
S. de Champlain	France	(1603-1635)	Explored in St. Lawrence river, Nova scotia, and Quebec Champlain explored and drew maps of northeast North America He founded Quebec and started beginning of french presence in North America Made alliances with Indigenous people and started the French fur trade
A. Tasman	Netherlands	1642-1644	- led expeditions in the 1640s to explore the largely unknown south pacific region - first European to reach Tasmania (which he named van diemen's land) and New Zealand - made first contact with the maori and some crew got killed - charted fiji and other islands - tasmania was named after him eventually

P. Stuyvesant	Netherlands	1665	-Sailed into the Delaware River -he claimed new Amsterdam for the Netherlands -he was an influential Dutch governor of the colony until the English took over and named it New York -he made New Amsterdam economically sucessful because he expanded slavery in the colony
M.L. Legazpi	Spain	1564-1565	Sent to establish a permanent Spanish settlement in the Philippines, became first governor until his death in 1598
F.V. de Coronado	Spain	1540-1542	- in search of the legendary "Seven Cities of Gold" (Cíbola) in the American Southwest - Explored areas in present-day Arizona and New Mexico, reaching the Zuni Pueblo, which did not have the gold he sought
P. Minuit	Dutch Republic Sweden	1626-1631 1637-1638	- Served as the Director of the colony of New Netherland - Famously purchased Manhattan Island from the Lenape Native Americans for 60 Dutch guilders ($24) which became the foundation of of New Amsterdam - Established the colony of New Sweden along the Delaware River, founding Fort Cristina which was the first permanent settlement in the Deleware Valley
W. Raleigh	England	(1584-1587)	Explored the East coast of North America(North Carolina and Viginia) Raleigh sponsored the roanoke expeditions, where the first colony landed in England. He influenced the future colonies in Jamestown and its later expansion.

Explorers